Inking mechanism for printing machines



'June 25, 1935. F. LAMATscH INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 12, 1953 FIGA.

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2 Sheets-Sheet l WL w June 25, 1935. F. LAMATscH INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-5h66?l 2 INVENTOR Filed Jan. l2, 1935 Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES INKING MsonANTsM Fon PRINTING- MACHINES Frederick Lamatsch, Grantwood, J., `assignmto Irving Trust Company, permanent trustee for R. Hoe & Co., Inc., New

' poration of New York York, N .i Y., a cor-` Application Januaryia 1933, sria1 :-No..651,z95 claims. (c1. 1014366);

Thisiinvention relates to printing machinery and more particularly to printing machines provided with an ink pump and ink rail of the gen-v eral character described andillustrated in patent of Halliwell, No.y 1,589,148, dated June 15,` 1926 for inning mechanism.' I

The principal object of the inventionis to provide novel means for maintaining an ink rail in a predetermined variable position for coaction with an ink cylinder, andy for adjusting or moving the said rail relatively to the ink` cylinder with a view to spreading the amountV of ink toV be deposited on the latter, While indicating. on a micrometer scale the extent of the clearance betweenthe said ink rail and inking cylinder. v

Another object is the provision of an ink rail' micrometer adjusting mechanism which will obviate the necessity' for` feeler gauges heretofore required.

`Another object is to providelatch means for retaining an ink rail in inoperative position for cleaning, inspection, etc., with resilient means for returning the ink rail to a xed position preadjustable to the desired point or location;

A further object is to provide a combination of means for automatically and accurately registering the distance or clearance between the iii-king cylinder and coactingink rail, and automatically operated means for locking the said ink' rail in inoperative position so that the latter maybe held in fixed position while being inspected, cleaned or adjusted.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an ink rail mechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the device will beY simple, durable and inexpensive in constructionr as Well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eilci'ent in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

`which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

The preferred embodiment of the invention `is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Where- `Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view,

partly in section, of certain parts of theinking mechanism ci a printing machine to which the invention has been operatively applied;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan'view, partly in section, showing thelleft end of the device, the ink rail being held in inoperative position by the latch meansemployed;

Figure 3 is-aview similar to Figure 2 but showing-the` right end of the device with the ink rail in operative position; and

Figure 4 is an elevational View, partly broken away, showing the relation and disposition oi certain details of the construction including the manually operable ink rail shifting means, the micrometer indicating means, and the latches for'maintaining the ink rail in inoperative position. .l

In `the drawings of the preferred form of the invention, the numerals H` and l i indicate generally the frame members of a printing machine on which an. ink cylinder l2 and the coacting ink rollers I3, I4 and l5 are suitably mounted.

i In accfndance with the present invention, an inkrail: ll is providedv Withsupporting members or feet IEjlll which are 4arranged on trackways i8, i9 secured to the said frame members l l-and H.' of the printing machine. The ink rail I6 is resiliently held in operative position adjacent theink; cylinder I2 by springs 2l, the ends of which` are connected tothe ink rail i 8 and frame members il and l I in any suitable manner as l by theeye bolts 22, 23, as best shown in Figures 2 and` 3. 'I'her springs 27| may be adjusted to the tension desired.` by means of nuts 23 threaded on the bolts 23T, it being understood that the normal action of the springs 2 l will tend to draw the ink lrad-l towards the cylinder.

A pair: offmanually operable members 24,. for shiftingthev ink rail I6, are secured on a bar or shaft 25, supported by arms or brackets 26, 21

attached tol the frame members Il and Il' in i any suitable: manner;` The shaft 25 is .confined against longitudinal movement by one of the members and a collar 25. The members 24 are each formed: With-a pocket 24 for the reception of a suitable tool or key, and are also formed` distance `from same,1eifective for depositing the amount of ink desired or necessary.

The means` for adjusting the ink rail so that it may be initially adjustedto a desired clearance from the ink cylinder and to insure that vit Will return to the `position desired, includes a pair of adjusting screws 3|, threadedly secured to the ink rail I6 and provided at one end with an adjusting or manipulating head 32 and at another with an indicator orpointer 33 which travels over a calibrated plate or scale 34 fastened to the ink rail I6.

Each of the screws 3|, the heads 32 of which are adapted to abut against a portion of the stationary frame members II and II when the ink rail iii is returned to operative or juxtaposed position relatively to the ink cylinder I2, is also provided with a lock nut 35 which is adapted to abut against a portion of one of the adjacent feet I'I, Ill for fixing the said screws 3l in the position desired, the indicator 33 meanwhile, when the screws are turned, denoting on the scale 311 the extent of longitudinal movement of the said screws 3l relatively to the ink rail I6 and, consequently, the extent of clearance of the ink rail i5 from the ink cylinderv I2, so that the" inner end of the screws 3| by protruding to a greater or less extent from the inkrail will determine the degree of adjustment desired. It will now be understood that when the indicator 33 is at the zero point on the scale 34, the ink rail I3 will be in actual contact with the ink cylinder.` When the indicator is in the position shown in Figure e, the said ink rail IG will have been moved to a denite clearance or distancek from the ink cylinder for the passage or spreading of ink on the latter. Y

By preadjusting the extent of clearance between tlie ink rail and ink cylinder when in cooperative relation,'the spreading of the inli:` on

the ink cylinder may be accurately controlled or graduated so that when it is desired to print, for example, many lines arranged in clo-se relation, the ink rail I6 will be initially adjustedto a position or clearance distance from the ink cylinder suicient to insure the proper spreading of the requisite amount of ink. The said ink rail after the initial adjustment will be fastened in the desired position by the T-bolts 4I. 'For more open printing where less ink is required, the ink rail will be initially adjusted to a clearancey distance from the ink cylinder less than thatrequired for close printing.

In order to hold the ink distributing rail o bar i6 when cleaning or inspecting same, locking ;tion of the frame members I I and II and the supporting members I1, II of the ink rail IS-to the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 and in dotted lines in Figure 4.

.'Ihe feet Il, I'I of the ink rail I6, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3, are provided with portions having guide slots 39 riding on T-bolts or adjusting members 4I, threadedly engaged with the frame members II and Il', whereby the ink rail it may be locked in operating position, and

by unscrewing the said T-bolts to release the feet I?, I'v" may be moved or adjusted to the desired position or clearance from the ink drum. The

`T-bolts ci are then tightened, thus locking the ink rail in the operating position selected.

The function and general manner of operation of the device, in part indicated by the foregoing description, may be summarized as follows:

Assuming it is desired to move the ink rail It from the operative position shown in Figures l and 3, to the inoperative position illustrated in Figure 2, for inspection, repairs, etc., the T-bolts 4I will be unscrewed, and then the manually operable members 2li will be manipulated, thereby moving the ink rail le against the tension of springs 2l to the inoperative position shown in Figures 2 and 4, the latches St now falling into the space between the supports I'l, I'I' of the ink rail M3 and the adjacent portion of the frames i I and l l as mentioned above.

Should it be desired to bring the ink rail I6 closer to the ink drum I2 for operative coaction therewith, a suitable tool such as a Spanner wrench may be applied to the heads 32 of the screws 3l and the said screws turned to the desired extent. rThis will cause the said screws 3i tofmove further into the ink rail IIS and, consequently, will permit the ink rail it to approach closer to the inl: cylinder I2, as the springs 2l urge the ink rail i6 forwardly toward the ink cylinder.

yWhen adjusting the ink rail to provide more clearance between the said rail and ink cylinder I2, the screws 3i will be turned so that the head 32 of each screw contacts the adjacent portion of the frame il, thus thrusting the ink rail in a direction away from the ink cylinder, against the resistance of the springs 2i, until the clearance distance desired is obtained.

It will be evident that in all cases after the ink rail has been moved to an inoperative position for any-desired purpose, the springs 2 i, after the locking means, hereinbefore described, have been raised, will return the ink rail le to the position previously obtained; i. e., where the heads 32 of the adjusting screws 3i abut against frame members li and Il. The extent of the clearance distance between the ink rail and ink cylinder will be accurately denoted by the indicating means 33, 361.

The present method not only insures the return or" the ink rail to the operative predetermined position while indicating on a micrometer scale its degree of clearance from the ink cylinder I2, but it also eliminates the necessity for feeler gauges or analogous elements which hitherto weredeemed requisite for accurately indicating the position oi the ink rail relatively to the ink drum.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended ciaiins rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention;

What I claim is:

l. In an inking mechanism for a printing inachine, an ink cylinder, an Vinit distributing bar, means for urging the cylinder, and stops carried by the bar and adjustable to regulate the amount of, clearance between the bar and the cylinder, and means for indicating the degree oi adjustment.

2. In an inking mechanism for a printing rnachine, an ink cylinder, an ink distributing bar,

resilient means for urging the bar towards the cylinder, stops adjustable to regulate the amount of clearance between the bar and the cylinder, and micrometer indicators on the adjustable stops for denoting the extent of clearance between the said bar and the said cylinder.

3. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine, an ink cylinder, an ink distributing bar,

resilient means for urging the bar towards the cylinder, stops adjustable to regulate the amount of clearance between the bar and the cylinder, micrometer indicators on the adjustable stops for denoting the extent of clearance between the said bar and the said cylinder, and means for automatically locking the ink rail in inoperative position.

4. In mechanism of the character described having an ink rail and a coacting ink cylinder, the combination of means for adjusting said ink rail relatively to said cylinder, with means for simultaneously indicating the degree of adjustment, and resilient means for moving the said ink rail to a predetermined position of same, operative for depositing ink on said drum.

5. In mechanism of the character described including an ink rail and a coacting ink drum, the combination of tensioning means for maintaining said ink rail in accurate juxtaposition to the ink drum, means for moving the said ink rail to a position variable with respect to said ink drum, indicating means for showing the extent of movement made by the ink drum, and other means for locking said ink rail in inoperative position.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, an ink rail slidable on the frame, an ink cylinder rotatably mounted on the frame, tensioning means connected to the frame and ink rail for returning said ink rail to a predetermined variable position, and latch means automatically operative for locking the said ink rail in inoperative position.

'7. In mechanism of the character described having an ink rail, a frame, and an ink cylinder, said ink rail being slidably secured to said frame; adjustable spring means secured to the ink rail and frame for exerting a tension eiTective to maintain the ink rail accurately juxtaposed to the ink cylinder in a predetermined position, means for varying the position of the ink rail with respect to the ink cylinder, and other means for indicating the degree of clearance of said ink rail relatively to said ink cylinder.

8. In mechanism of the character described having a frame, `an ink rail and an ink cylinder mounted on said frame, resilient means for urging and maintaining the ink rail into juxtaposed position relatively to the ink cylinder, adjustable means connected to the ink rail for locating the ink rail in a predetermined variable position, and latch means for locking the said ink rail' in inoperative position.

9. In mechanism of the character described having a frame, an ink rail and an ink cylinder mounted cn said frame, manually operable means pivoted on said frame and having a connection with said ink rail for moving the ink rail from the ink cylinder to an inoperative position, screw threaded means for varying the position of the ink rail relatively to the ink cylinder to graduate the amount of ink to be applied on said ink cylinder by said ink rail, a micrometer adjustment for locating the ink rail in a predetermined variable position, and means for locking the ink rail in inoperative position.

10. In mechanism of the character described having a frame, an ink rail and an ink cylinder mounted on said frame, manually operable means pivoted on said frame and having a connection with said ink rail for moving the ink rail from the ink cylinder to an inoperative position, and micrometer adjusting means for arranging the ink rail in Various desired positions for coaction with the ink cylinder so that the amount of ink deposited by the ink rail on the ink cylinder may be evenly distributed. l

1l. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine including a frame, an ink cylinder, an ink distributing bar, movable adjusting members carried by the bar independently of the frame and coactable with the frame to thrust the said bar away from the ink cylinder to a position effective for properly spreading ink on same, means for indicating the degree oi movement of the adjusting members, and means to return the bar from an inoperative position to said eiective positon.

l2. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine including a frame, an ink cylinder and an ink rail, stop members connected to said rail and coactable with said frame for thrusting the ink rail away from the ink cylinder to a predetermined variable clearance distance effective for spreading ink on said ink cylinder, means for moving the ink rail to an inoperative position, means for locking the ink rail in said inoperative position, and resilient means for returning the ink rail from the inoperative position to the eiective clearance distance.

13. In mechanism of the character described having a frame, an ink rail and an ink cylinder mounted on said frame, resilient means for urging and maintaining the ink rail into juxtaposed position relatively to the ink cylinder, and adjustable means carried by the ink rail for locating the ink rail in a predetermined variable position, and means for indicating the degree of adjustment of the adjustable means.

14. In an inking mechanism for a printing machine, an ink cylinder, an ink distributing bar,

resilient means for urging the bar towards the 

